From NBC News: It was the moment New Year’s revelry turned into catastrophe.
A photo shows partygoers hoisting wine bottles fitted with sparklers, yet even as they toast the occasion flames are already visible on the foam soundproofing lining the low ceiling of the bar at the upscale Alpine ski resort.
The fire, which broke out around 1:30 a.m. (7:30 p.m. ET Wednesday) at Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana, Switzerland and left 40 dead, appears to have started when sparklers atop bottles were brought too close to the ceiling, Beatrice Pilloud, the Valais canton Attorney General, told a news conference Friday after preliminary investigations.
The sparklers appear to have led to “what is referred to as a flashover incident where the fire spread very rapidly,” Pilloud said.
Investigators are still investigating the structure, including the soundproofing foam used in the ceiling. They will determine whether someone will be held criminally liable for the fire, Pilloud added.
Sparklers on champagne bottles likely caused the Swiss ski resort bar fire that killed at least 40 people, authorities say.https://t.co/3JyLYyBK5A pic.twitter.com/19yb5JV8U3
— CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) January 2, 2026
Béatrice Pilloud, procureure générale du Canton du valais : «Tout laisse à penser que le feu est parti des bougies incandescentes» pic.twitter.com/z6QQ7lhb1L
— CNEWS (@CNEWS) January 2, 2026
Officials are working to identify charred bodies from a fire, while images and eyewitnesses described the horrific scene.
Videos from the venue show the fire’s progression, from initial flames to a more advanced state, prompting panic and evacuation.
Sparklers on Champagne bottles may have started the deadly New Year’s Eve bar fire in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, investigators said Friday.
Police have said about 40 people were killed and at least 115 were badly injured. Most of the victims were just teenagers celebrating the… pic.twitter.com/DKU3L8HZJq
— CBS News (@CBSNews) January 2, 2026
‘If these people are alive all investigations will be opened for fire by negligence, homicide by negligence, and injuries by negligence.’@willgodley details a statement from Valais Attorney General Beatrice Pilloud on the source of the fire at Crans-Montana ski resort. pic.twitter.com/pehoF05i8t
— GB News (@GBNEWS) January 2, 2026
Read more at NBC News
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